The UChicago Undergraduate Law Magazine is excited to open applications to serve on our Editorial Board as an Associate Editor for the 2017-2018 academic year. UCULM is the University of Chicago’s first and only undergraduate law publication. The UCULM board is dedicated to fostering a sustained dialogue about local, domestic, and international legal issues.

Abstract: With the Trump administration in power, the future of many policies, including those pertaining to reproductive rights, are uncertain. President Trump has taken many hardline stances, including his vow to appoint conservative judges to federal courts that will affirm pro-life policies. His recent Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, suggests that Trump intends to continue advancing conservative policy goals. In recent years, conservative state legislatures have ruled in favor of more stringent abortion regulations. Yet, in the summer of 2016, the Supreme Court ruled 5-to-3 against a Texas regulation of abortion clinics in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. The impact of this ruling will depend, in part, on Trump’s nominees to the federal courts. The potential for a steadfast Democratic opposition to these nominees creates further uncertainty for the future of the high court as well as the partisanship of American politics in general.

Author: Taylor Leighton is currently a second-year at the University of Chicago, pursuing a double major in Public Policy and Psychology.

Abstract: With the Trump administration in power, the future of many policies, including those pertaining to reproductive rights, are uncertain. President Trump has taken many hardline stances, including his vow to appoint conservative judges to federal courts that will affirm pro-life policies. His recent Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, suggests that Trump intends to continue advancing conservative policy goals. In recent years, conservative state legislatures have ruled in favor of more stringent abortion regulations. Yet, in the summer of 2016, the Supreme Court ruled 5-to-3 against a Texas regulation of abortion clinics in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. The impact of this ruling will depend, in part, on Trump’s nominees to the federal courts. The potential for a steadfast Democratic opposition to these nominees creates further uncertainty for the future of the high court as well as the partisanship of American politics in general.

Author: Taylor Leighton is currently a second-year at the University of Chicago, pursuing a double major in Public Policy and Psychology.

Abstract: Race-relations have been at the forefront of public discussion in the United States. The ruling in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin et al. augments this discourse by solidifying past Supreme Court precedents in regards to affirmative action. The Court’s opinion, while reiterating the belief that race should be of minimal impact, upheld the use of race-based affirmative action policies. This paper details the key points in the Fisher decision as well as delineates why race requires consideration in college admissions processes. As a central feature of many people’s identities, race plays a significant role in determining life outcomes. While some people adhere to the color-blindness philosophy because they believe equality cannot be achieved if race is a factor in decisions, this perspective inadequately assesses the systemic inequality in today’s world that is the result of historic prejudice on the basis of race. Due to the historical misapplication of race, equality can not be achieved by neglecting racial considerations.

Author: Taylor Leighton is currently a second-year at the University of Chicago, pursuing a double major in Public Policy and Political Science.

Abstract: Race-relations have been at the forefront of public discussion in the United States. The ruling in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin et al. augments this discourse by solidifying past Supreme Court precedents in regards to affirmative action. The Court’s opinion, while reiterating the belief that race should be of minimal impact, upheld the use of race-based affirmative action policies. This paper details the key points in the Fisher decision as well as delineates why race requires consideration in college admissions processes. As a central feature of many people’s identities, race plays a significant role in determining life outcomes. While some people adhere to the color-blindness philosophy because they believe equality cannot be achieved if race is a factor in decisions, this perspective inadequately assesses the systemic inequality in today’s world that is the result of historic prejudice on the basis of race. Due to the historical misapplication of race, equality can not be achieved by neglecting racial considerations.

Author: Taylor Leighton is currently a second-year at the University of Chicago, pursuing a double major in Public Policy and Political Science.